u/Downtown-Agency-3588

In recent weeks, there have been news reports in Alberta about the explosion of the forest tent caterpillar population in some areas. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is a pest of broadleaved trees and shrubs. When young, they’re black, hairy and about 3 mm long. When mature, they are about 50 mm long, with wide blue bands along the sides of the body, and a row of white keyhole shaped spots along the back. 

Forest tent caterpillars have currently been popping up mainly in forested areas, camping grounds, parks, and in backyards in Alberta. Though large, the numbers still pale in comparison to the massive population explosion that occurred in central Alberta in the late 80s. Any Albertan who lived in this region at the time remembers; in 1987 and 1988, the furry little creatures literally took over entire areas, engulfing trees and clustering in massive groups on buildings and the ground. 

“My friend’s house in Athabasca backed onto a forest and when the caterpillars came they were piled 4 feet high on the sides of the house and on the doors, and had to be shovelled daily to even open the door,” said LeeAnna Binder, of Sherwood Park, AB.  “The dead ones at the bottom of the pile smelled so bad. It was unbelievable.” 

Entire woodland areas back then would be decimated by the caterpillar’s voracious appetites, trees and shrubs would appear to be moving as thousands would overtake each plant, stripping the foliage. The roads and walks weren’t spared either, as hundreds of thousands of caterpillars met an untimely end, inadvertently at the bottom of vehicle tires and pedestrian shoes. 

Though essentially harmless to humans, forest tent caterpillars can cause some physical discomfort to people, as rashes on the skin can form caused by direct contact. Their bodies are covered in tiny, stiff hairs that can cause mechanical irritation or mild allergic reactions.

“I remember my buddy in school back then covering himself in caterpillars and getting a rash,” said former longtime Alberta resident Robert Gettman, currently living in Wollongong, Australia. “He ended up missing school.”

Questionable youth behaviour aside, a child having the ability to cover himself with large amounts of caterpillars exemplifies the population explosion central Albertans faced at the time, having only dealt with them occasionally to varying degrees since. 

 ”FTC (forest tent caterpillar) populations naturally exhibit cyclic dynamics, with outbreaks occurring every 10 years or so and lasting a few years,” said Dr. Leah Flaherty, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

When asked about the outbreak in Alberta in the late 80s, Dr Flaherty replied “For the 1987 Edmonton outbreak, the most likely explanation is that several factors aligned just right to create conditions favourable for rapid population growth. FTC populations had likely been increasing for several years, weather conditions were probably favourable for survival and development, and Edmonton has an abundance of trembling aspen, the preferred host of FTC in western Canada.”

Adding, “At the same time, natural enemies had likely not yet increased sufficiently to suppress the growing population.”

As the river valley and park areas in Edmonton and surrounding communities currently get inundated by the caterpillars, it’s notable to point out that these population booms are temporary, usually lasting only a few years. Eventually, natural controls such as parasitic wasps, viral diseases, and starvation cause the caterpillar populations to crash, allowing the ecosystem to recover. 

“Populations increase when natural enemy pressure is low, but high densities are eventually followed by increased mortality from pathogens and parasitoids, whose populations lag behind those of FTC. This leads to the characteristic outbreak-and-collapse cycle,” Flaherty explained. 

As for the late 80s outbreak, Dr.  Flaherty not only knows why the caterpillars showed up in abundance, but also why they seemed to be more noticeable and prevalent in certain areas during that time. 

“The 1987 event likely represented the peak of a regional outbreak cycle affecting much of central Alberta, not just Edmonton,” Flaherty said 

“The city (of Edmonton) simply made the outbreak more visible because so many caterpillars were concentrated around people, homes, and streets.” 

 

  

Trent McMartin 

https://preview.redd.it/hgd4c7evhpah1.jpg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c425e9cc30f17a2d59a7c0f7f1b54b107fe738b2

In recent weeks, there have been news reports in Alberta about the explosion of the forest tent caterpillar population in some areas. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is a pest of broadleaved trees and shrubs. When young, they’re black, hairy and about 3 mm long. When mature, they are about 50 mm long, with wide blue bands along the sides of the body, and a row of white keyhole shaped spots along the back. 

Forest tent caterpillars have currently been popping up mainly in forested areas, camping grounds, parks, and in backyards in Alberta. Though large, the numbers still pale in comparison to the massive population explosion that occurred in central Alberta in the late 80s. Any Albertan who lived in this region at the time remembers; in 1987 and 1988, the furry little creatures literally took over entire areas, engulfing trees and clustering in massive groups on buildings and the ground. 

“My friend’s house in Athabasca backed onto a forest and when the caterpillars came they were piled 4 feet high on the sides of the house and on the doors, and had to be shovelled daily to even open the door,” said LeeAnna Binder, of Sherwood Park, AB.  “The dead ones at the bottom of the pile smelled so bad. It was unbelievable.” 

Entire woodland areas back then would be decimated by the caterpillar’s voracious appetites, trees and shrubs would appear to be moving as thousands would overtake each plant, stripping the foliage. The roads and walks weren’t spared either, as hundreds of thousands of caterpillars met an untimely end, inadvertently at the bottom of vehicle tires and pedestrian shoes. 

Though essentially harmless to humans, forest tent caterpillars can cause some physical discomfort to people, as rashes on the skin can form caused by direct contact. Their bodies are covered in tiny, stiff hairs that can cause mechanical irritation or mild allergic reactions.

“I remember my buddy in school back then covering himself in caterpillars and getting a rash,” said former longtime Alberta resident Robert Gettman, currently living in Wollongong, Australia. “He ended up missing school.”

Questionable youth behaviour aside, a child having the ability to cover himself with large amounts of caterpillars exemplifies the population explosion central Albertans faced at the time, having only dealt with them occasionally to varying degrees since. 

“FTC (forest tent caterpillar) populations naturally exhibit cyclic dynamics, with outbreaks occurring every 10 years or so and lasting a few years,” said Dr. Leah Flaherty, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

When asked about the outbreak in Alberta in the late 80s, Dr Flaherty replied “For the 1987 Edmonton outbreak, the most likely explanation is that several factors aligned just right to create conditions favourable for rapid population growth. FTC populations had likely been increasing for several years, weather conditions were probably favourable for survival and development, and Edmonton has an abundance of trembling aspen, the preferred host of FTC in western Canada.”

 Adding, “At the same time, natural enemies had likely not yet increased sufficiently to suppress the growing population.”

 As the river valley and park areas in Edmonton and surrounding communities currently get inundated by the caterpillars, it’s notable to point out that these population booms are temporary, usually lasting only a few years. Eventually, natural controls such as parasitic wasps, viral diseases, and starvation cause the caterpillar populations to crash, allowing the ecosystem to recover. 

”Populations increase when natural enemy pressure is low, but high densities are eventually followed by increased mortality from pathogens and parasitoids, whose populations lag behind those of FTC. This leads to the characteristic outbreak-and-collapse cycle,” Flaherty explained. 

As for the late 80s outbreak, Dr.  Flaherty not only knows why the caterpillars showed up in abundance, but also why they seemed to be more noticeable and prevalent in certain areas during that time. 

 “The 1987 event likely represented the peak of a regional outbreak cycle affecting much of central Alberta, not just Edmonton,” Flaherty said 

 ”The city (of Edmonton) simply made the outbreak more visible because so many caterpillars were concentrated around people, homes, and streets.” 

 

  

Trent McMartin 

Deceased actor and cultural icon James Dean has seen a shift in his cultural influence in recent years. The defining symbol of 1950s rebellion, Dean’s cultural impact has been debated and reexamined over the decades. While his image of the troubled, cool outsider still exemplifies teenage angst and retro style, younger generations today are seemingly less connected to the star actor than previous generations.

 

“I have no idea who that is,” said my 14 year old nephew when asked recently who James Dean was. 

 

“Was he a basketball player?” 

 

Of course getting one teenagers perspective doesn’t make a film icon such as Dean irrelevant in a modern context. But there have been signs of a shift for sometime as online discourse about the actors legacy has grown. Discussions on platforms like Quora generally highlight that Dean’s modern significance is now more deeply tied to the history of cinema rather than everyday pop culture, some even going as far as saying he’s a “cultural relic.” 

 

And it’s not just online, former hotspots like the gas station in Blackwell’s Corner at the intersection of State Routes 46 and 33 in Kern County, California, where the 24-year-old film star made his final stop before dying in a car crash in 1955, has seen a sharp decline in visitors in recent years. According to a 2024 Los Angeles Times article, signs were posted in the establishment pleading for people to buy something to help the business stay afloat.

 

“YOUR PURCHASES ARE THE ONLY REASON WE CAN STAY OPEN IN THESE TRYING TIMES,” read a red-lettered sign by the front door, said the article. 

 

Of course COVID was no help to the business. But the article showcased a recent waning of interest in James Dean from visitors to the gas station and store. 

 

In our digital age and fragmented culture, where formerly shared social narratives, unified values, and centralized institutions have declined in favour of hyper-individualism, niche subcultures, and ideological polarization, does James Dean still even have a place in today’s world? 

 

Yes. At least according to notable American author and highly respected film historian Foster Hirsch.

 

“I regularly screen Rebel Without a Cause (Dean’s legendary posthumous 1955 film) to undergraduate classes at Brooklyn College, and students continue to relate to James Dean's presence. While acknowledging aspects of the film that are clearly outdated - the all-white high school, for example - students continue to find Dean's performance truthful, relevant, and moving.”

 

Dean was one of the first actors, along with Marlon Brando, to popularize method acting, or “The Method.” It was a system of techniques where performers aspire to deep psychological and emotional identification with a character, rather than just pretending to feel, actors draw from personal experiences to trigger real emotions, ensuring performances feel authentic. 

 

“The actor's (Dean’s) expert mastery of the Method, a new style at the time, gives his work an aura of spontaneity and improvisation,” says Hirsch. 

 

“He talks the way real people do, with pauses, hesitation, repetition, backtracking. He mumbles. He is often inarticulate. His body language often is an eloquent way of expressing his character's inner conflicts. And despite the fact that he is using a style of acting, he creates an illusion of immediacy, as if the turmoil experienced by his character is happening for the first time, on the spot.” 

 

Acting prowess aside, there’s been a change of what represents rebellion over the decades. The rebellious “outsider” image he represented has been continuously reinterpreted over the decades through subsequent movements in music, fashion, film, television, and pop culture. Without new films, franchises, or relevant media keeping his legacy active, Dean’s image could evolve from a mainstream symbol of youth rebellion to a more niche piece of pop culture history, fuelled mainly and solely by merchandise and apparel. 

 

A popular perspective within the online community is the fair assessment that the actual person James Dean has long since transcended from living, breathing actor into mythical cultural icon. Thats not a new concept, that transition started to happen immediately after the car crash on September 30, 1955. But with that and the time that has passed since his untimely death, there seems to be a lack of overall familiarity by the general public with the actors work, being that he only released three films as a starring lead during his brief, yet influential career.

 

“We know him only from his three great mid-50s performances, in East of Eden, Giant, and Rebel Without a Cause, a legacy of extraordinary if abbreviated brilliance; he remains forever the perpetual teenager, struggling to find a place in a world that often seems hostile or rejecting, grasping for emotional security and reeling from rejection,” Hirsch says. 

 

Not to mention the “what if” factor, a key reason of Dean’s perpetual fame. 

 

“The fact that James Dean died at 24 means that he has been frozen in time - we never saw him as he aged, and we can't know what his career might have become,” Hirsch adds. 

 

Though debate continues over the size and scope of Dean’s continued relevance, there is no doubt the 24-year old Indiana native struck a chord with the public, then as now, he continues to inspire, influence, and draw praise. Like a shooting star, the man and his performances left a bright and memorable impact. He was one of the first pop culture figures to resonate with audiences, especially younger ones, on a personal and emotional level, while invoking a strong sense of oncoming modernity. 

 

“He (Dean) remains forever the perpetual teenager,” says Hirsch. 

 

“Struggling to find a place in a world that often seems hostile or rejecting, grasping for emotional security and reeling from rejection, from inadequate fathers, most of all, but from feelings of being an outsider that generations of young people, and older people too, continue to relate to.”

 

 

Trent McMartin

 

Friday, July 31, 1987, a date that will forever live in infamy in Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding areas. Also known as Black Friday, the deadliest and most destructive tornado in Alberta's history touched down at 2:55 p.m. MDT just north of Beaumont, and went on a run of destructive terror for over an hour. Leaving 27** people killed, hundreds injured, and over 300 homes levelled. The storm carved a path of destruction 30.8 kilometres (19.1 miles) long and up to 1.3 kilometres (0.81 miles) wide. Reaching peak intensity on Refinery Row in Strathcona County, derailing train cars and turning giant oil storage tanks upside down, crumpling them like they were cardboard. 
 
The immediate aftermath in Strathcona County was severe damage and destruction to infrastructure, with communication and transportation being disrupted, as phone lines went down, and access to healthcare facilities critically hindered. It would take months to clean up and to asses the true damage, with hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage. Strathcona County was set to host the 1987 Alberta Summer Games that August, but with the tragedy and destruction left by the tornado, an uncertainty hung in the air whether or not the games would go on. 
 
“The tornado of ‘87 and its aftermath was a very traumatic situation,” said the Honourable Iris Evans, former reeve and Strathcona County councillor. “The real miracle of those games happening was the preparation; it was very well planned.”
 
The 1987 Alberta Summer Games were hosted by Strathcona County from August **13 to August 16, 1987, welcoming athletes aged 11 to 16 from across the province to compete in various sports. The games served as a premier provincial multi-sport event designed to foster athletic development for youth across Alberta. Strathcona County is again set to host the province once again for the 2026 Alberta Summer Games, taking place from July 16 to 19, 2026. The upcoming event will feature roughly over 2500 athletes and participants. 
 
“People weren’t sure if the ‘87 games were going to be put on after the tornado,” said Evans, who also served as the Alberta Minister of Health and Wellness and later the Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry for the Government of Alberta. “It might have been the largest collection of volunteers up to that point to gather and work an event in Strathcona County, and that coupled with fantastic leadership made the event a success.”
 
In terms of leadership, Evans is referring specifically to Jim Common, the then reeve of Strathcona County, and Doug Fulford, head of the games organization. “The ‘87 games might have been Jim Common’s golden moment as reeve, while Doug Fulford did a great job too, with Doug’s big smile, he welcomed everyone,” Evans said. “Everyone did a masterful job, really igniting the fires of volunteerism in the community.”
 
Heroic organization and preparation became the keys to the success of the ‘87 games, but it meant nothing if the weather didn’t cooperate. The tornado and subsequent rains did do a number on the facilities, soaking fields, worrying organizers with just days to go before the events started.
 
“Just right before things kicked off, the sun shone almost defiantly, in the wake of the tornado, it was brilliant,” Evans remembered. “The ground was still a bit soggy for the start but things soon righted themselves.” 
 
The legacy of those ‘87 games stretches far and wide, as it not only sparked a new passion for community volunteerism, but helped initiate the building of recreational facilities. With the games success, it also led to future sporting events being hosted by Strathcona County, including the upcoming 2026 Alberta Summer games. 
 
“It (the ‘87 Games) was a new venture, it was really the first time we had uniforms and ball caps and lanyards, and the credentials started to come in,” Evans said. “It was also the beginning of the development in the enthusiasm for strong recreational facilities being built, like eventually places like Millennium Place came about.”
 
As for the Honourable Iris Evans’ personal take on the legacy of  the games and their affect on the community, she remembers both the immediate aftermath after the games ended, along with its lasting impact. 
 
“When it was over, even later in September when everything was said and done, the staff, the volunteers, the organizers, everybody breathed a sigh of relief, especially going through the adversity with the tornado. The games were very well organized and a success,” she fondly recalled. 
 
“It (the games) put Strathcona County on the map, for more than just for refining operations,” Evans added. 
 
“People look back at the ‘87 Alberta Summer Games with pride.”